Rapid Fire
Rapid Fire Current Affairs
- 10 Jun 2023
- 4 min read
Soul of Steel Challenge
The final phase of ‘Soul of Steel’ challenge is taking place on the Amritganga Glacier, Uttarakhand, where participants are undergoing intensive training in ice craft.
It was launched in Uttarakhand in January,2023 which aims to test one’s high-altitude endurance and to also promote adventure tourism in Uttarakhand, globally. The general area of the expedition has been Nanda Devi National Park.
It is an initiative of CLAW Global and is being supported by the Indian Army.
The underlying idea is pooling of skill sets and creating a challenge that will unlock the human ability to survive, stabilise and thrive in high altitude areas.
It is based on the lines of the ‘Ironman triathlon’ long-distance triathlon challenge in Europe, which tests an individual’s grit and endurance.
Read more: ‘Soul of Steel’
Tomb like Structure at Siri Fort
During renovation work at the Siri Fort Children's Park, New Delhi, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) made an accidental discovery of a tomb-like structure. The arched opening of the structure has been uncovered, but further excavation is not planned. Instead, the structure will be preserved to educate children visiting the museum about the process of uncovering buried structures.
Siri Fort, built by Alauddin Khilji in the 13th Century, served as a garrison town for his army. The Siri Fort Children's Museum, established in 2011, showcases 30 replicas of famous global monuments. Recent renovations aimed to add 100 more replicas, leading to the discovery of the tomb-like structure. The excavation has revealed a low-height structure of 2 to 3 meters, suggesting it is not a tunnel.
Iran Develops Hypersonic Missile
Iran has claimed regarding the development of a hypersonic missile capable of traveling 15 times the speed of sound, as tensions with the United States persist over Iran's nuclear program. According to Iran's state television, the missile, named ‘Fattah’ or "Conqueror" in Farsi, boasts a range of up to 1,400 kilometers (870 miles). The report also asserts that the missile can penetrate any regional missile defense system, although no evidence was provided to support this claim.
A hypersonic missile is a weapon system which flies at least at the speed of Mach 5 i.e. five times the speed of sound and is manoeuvrable. While China and the United States are believed to be pursuing hypersonic weapons, Russia claims to have already deployed them in Ukraine.
Read More: Hypersonic Missiles
Cannabis Research Project
The 'Cannabis Research Project' of CSIR-IIIM (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research - Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine) Jammu has the potential to produce export quality medicine for neuropathies, cancer & epilepsy. It also has the potential to give an impetus for huge investment in Jammu and Kashmir.
According to the WHO, cannabis is a generic term used to denote the several psychoactive preparations of the plant Cannabis Sativa. It is by far the most widely cultivated, trafficked and abused illicit drug in the world.
The major psychoactive constituent in cannabis is Delta9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).
The unpollinated female plants are called hashish. Cannabis oil (hashish oil) is a concentrate of cannabinoids (compounds which are structurally similar to THC) obtained by solvent extraction of the crude plant material or of the resin.
Read More: Cannabis
